New York City roots fuel Rutgers' Andre Civil as career nears end

PISCATAWAY — Games at Andre Civil’s Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn would be so sparsely attended that Civil could hear his parents, Felix and Gladys, having a conversation in the stands.

Humble beginnings would put it modestly for Civil. His career arc at Rutgers has followed suit.

The fifth-year senior right tackle is one of only two Scarlet Knights with starts in each of the past four seasons. Few know it. But Civil made it so, beginning on a street called Avenue X.

“First off, I think a lot of people don’t look at New York high school football as much,” said Civil, who mostly ran a Wing-T offense in high school. “You just kind of have a chip on your shoulder and want to show people you can play ball and compete with other states, especially New Jersey because New Jersey is known for football.”

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Civil grew up right across the street from Sheepshead Bay and played football at the adjoining field. Some schools, like Flatbush’s Erasmus Hall, would have to commute through the borough just to get to practice.

He played games at noon every Saturday, like clockwork. Sheepshead Bay never played night games, despite having lights. Civil did not need them to turn on.

He enrolled at Rutgers early as a 230-pound defensive end. Civil moved to offensive line the following preseason, dealing with weight issues, he said, until the middle of last season.

Head coach Kyle Flood, a Queens native who recruited Civil, was Rutgers’ offensive line coach at the time.

“I think those decisions ultimately are made by the head coach,” Flood said, referring to former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. “Now there are staff discussions that lead up to the decision part. But when you are deciding between moving a guy who was recruited on one side and moving him to the other, there are a lot of moving pieces when you do that.”

Two other former defensive linemen moved within the same two-year period. The lowlight was a 61-sack season in 2010 in which Civil and the two converted linemen saw significant time.

Still, it did not stop Civil from starting 21 of the first 25 games in which he appeared.

Flood said Rutgers’ original intention was for Civil to play defensive end. But the Knights lost two starters the previous season to the NFL, forcing their hand.

“It wasn’t the vision when we recruited him but he did play some in high school so it wasn’t that you couldn’t see it,” said Flood, who has extensive recruiting ties around New York City. “But it’s not foreign to college football. I don’t know if it’s ever out of the realm of possibility.”

Rutgers has historically looked to capitalize off its proximity to New York City.

Skyscrapers adorn its season programs. Recruiting trips feature hour train rides to Manhattan. Rutgers has vied with others to lay claim to the area. The Big Ten took notice.

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany wouldn’t admit as much Nov. 20, 2012 — nearly a year to the day — but Rutgers’ admission into the league had as much to do with the surrounding area as its on-field performance.

“It wasn’t a TV play,” Delany said that day inside Rutgers’ Hale Center facility. “I think it’s undoubtedly true that when you have a network (Big Ten Network), we launched it, we went a year without a lot of distribution. We eventually got some distribution. We continue to grow it, especially internationally.”

But few of Rutgers’ recruited players from the area have panned out. Part is New York’s romance with the hardcourt. Part is lack of funding — “You only have so much money in the football program,” Civil said.

Ray Rice grew up in nearby New Rochelle, but few New York City players have enjoyed the longevity Civil has with Rutgers. Even fewer realize it.

“A lot of people don’t have as much interest,” Civil said of New York City football. “It was a little rough. I go back now and watch my high school play and it seems like things are changing, things are getting more prevalent. People are starting to watch.”

About the Author

Tyler Barto is a 2013 Rutgers graduate and a Westampton, N.J., native. Reach the author at tbarto@trentonian.com
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